The very first pet we had was a budgie called Dinky. We got him in about 1954 and for some reason my parents bought him from Clitheroe in Lancashire and had to take him back to Yorkshire where we lived. He was a really good talker but I don’t recall him having a Lancastrian accent – thank goodness.

My dad used to tell the story about eating his breakfast and Dinky walking across his plate and through his fried eggs. Hmm – not sure i’d be too keen myself.

Dinky went to live with my grandparents when my brother was born in 1958.

I mentioned in week 4 of this series that we lived in a pub for about 18 months when I was about 4 years old. It seems that most publicans have to own a dog – often a big one. My dad was no exception.

We had a German Shepherd called Rinty – named after Rin-Tin-Tin from the movies. I have some vague memories of Rinty – or perhaps they are stories told to me by my parents. After all it is fifty four years ago.

I guess that one of the reasons my parents got Rinty was for security and protection against unruly customers. He was also apparently a good guard dog especially when assigned to look after me! We had a large enclosed yard at the back of the pub and that is where I used to play.

I know from stories told to me that Rinty would often be out in the yard with me. One such tale is of me shouting for help and when my parents came out they saw me running on the spot with Rinty just sitting there firmly gripping the seat of my pants in his mouth.

Anyway, when we left the pub we moved to a much smaller house and my parents decided not to keep Rinty. My dad said that he went to train as a police dog but I was never too sure about that!

My sister had a rabbit called Snowy – I think he was white. I don’t recall much about Snowy apart from he came to a very sad end. He was found dead on the back lawn after being attacked by another animal – presumably a dog.

We also had a goldfish called Tinkerbell whose party trick was leaping out of the bowl and flopping around on the floor.

Jayne and I have had three Persian cats over the past seventeen years – Horlicks, Willow and Wellington. They gave us so much pleasure and fun but sadly they are no longer with us.

Wellington and Willow

Horlicks

Wellington passed away on 24 March this year – here’s his obituary on one of my other blogs.